Surgical stitching instrument



April 13, 1948.

L. H. ERICKSON 2,439,383 SURGICAL STITCHING INSTRUMENT Filed July 19, 1946 i 37 INVENTOR.

L ester h. Erickson ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1948 STATES PATENT oFFi-ee 2,433,383 SURGIGAL: s'rrromue ms'rnmvmnir Lestcnflt Erickso L Aussies; Cali Application July 19, 1946; Serial NO. 684,995

ZCIaim S (o1; 128-340)-- (oi-announcer theact ofi Maroh.13,,188 3 a amended April 30, 1928; 3.70. Q. ,(i. .7517) his i v n ion relates. to. surgical stitchin instruments and,,more particularly toflsur ic l stitching instruments for suturingidllliins surgical operations.

Obj acts of this invention are to provide assure i al stitching instrument having means i or easily adi l ting an iqretainingma stitchin needlc in variouspositions, oi, adjustment;. o; provide means compactly, contained; within... the instru: ment for continuous insu-pplyinasuturematerial to the needle; toi provide conyenientm nua l operable. means for. controlling the supply of u r material ztoflthe-s eed e t provide me ns r QrineJ ithinhe, instrument pare nit o sutur materia and. ,toprovide ins rument f the type described 7 which is j .-of simple, durable, and; inexpensive design ,andgvihich ,is readily demountable for. loading. andcleanin t.

In accomplishing these and, other objects, of the present invention, I have providediimproyed details of structure, thepreferred form. of which is. illustrated} inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is anelevationalview. of, thestitching instrument.

i 2 is.- a I, cross-section l View. f, he instrumentof Fig. 1 taken along the, line 2 -2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlar ed, detall .,vievu showing 5 the needle clamping. means; and.

Fig 4 is afragmentaru, exploded detail view of the device showing the braking mechanism I for the thread spool.

Referring-more iiidetail to the drawing:

Numeral l indicates generally a stem preferably made of stainless steeh as are all the metal parts of the instrument, to facilitate sterilizing. The outer or free end'of'the stem Iissplit or bifurcated to provide a pair of'prongs 2 and 3'. This may; be accomplished=by cutting a slit 4 in the endoof the stem 5. The prongs 2 andji-Lare adapted tohold a stitching needle 5. To facilitate gripping of the needle SJoyrthe prongs; opposed grooves 5' and l, respectively, in the prongs 2 and 3 are provided in the form ofsections of a circular cylinder having itsgaxiseperpendic ll ilz to the longitudinal axis .ofithe; stemandincluded in the plane of the slit 4. The opposed grooves B and 1 may constitute the residuum of a cylindrical opening pierced through the stem l prior to the cutting of the slit 4.

The needle 5 may be caused to assume various positions by sliding it longitudinally of its axis between the prongs 2 and 3 and by rotating it about its longitudinal axis. To retain the needle The lever this; proyided with a: screw portion 9 assi g-fr ely hrone cylindrical-openin I i ,1 e t mhn -trah v rs yr hrouehrrone 2 andtiir adeaiy, ngagin an; one ing l I ,in p o e 3; coaxial; with the; t opening 19,, The" I clamping lever; 8 is also provided,withemeyeportion J2 ,to serveas a-guide. for, suture material c r-thread l3 supplied to the needlefi Anenlargedcylindrh cal portion I liaformed; on,.thet stem opposite the siit c end thereo having an te nally? knu l sur ace; tato a i it te ma pu ation an a nnular sn rl; I 6 dapt da orl frict na en a e m ntrwi h: ha dle-It'll t hewh'a r e: I 1 a ssgenerally tubular anti sprovided with a press fit plug l3 adjacent one end thereof a dividin the:- hand-le generally into: two h b s I94 nd I-Sbtlisi he c am er I9a is adapted to-receiveia spoon!) of;;sutu-re material thread h sei ew r flange 2| rests-on the plug I8. The spool zilg-man be -designated: asanactive ooli ince l' is iaetually us dfluring. e. p ation-of the device-to supplmthread to theneedle 5. The chamber 19a i so dimensionedthat the pool 20:- is: ea =y ota able: ther ineresintate; feedingo-f thethread ITS; from the spool 26 to the needle 5 a substantially-oeshaped slot 22 is out through 1 the wallzolth chamber. le The s otiz zi'hasza circulari pening Bat theitin i t e hook 015- the J andghasian enlarged section 24. on the leg of the J for a purpose hereinafter de-' scribed:

To.:pr ventp ntles redirctation o e n ib alse ec amsmi si nrov lediheretors e form of a pin 25 projecting from the upper flange 25g of the spool. :Zilsan i i nual il rable brake m mbervzl haying; a pin- 8 therein: cooperating with the; pin-.252; The p ris retained-by a tiehtifitinanonenin s his; 9 extendin -tr sverse y throu h he ake memberhe mber: 212is generally cylindrical; and; has at finger operatedi button 3% formed; on one; endthereof adjacent to -.which-is: a; keyvportion 31 also preferably,io-rmediintegral:with theimemberflflz The member 2:1,: is reciprocably i-mqunted coaxial openings 32 and 33 extending; transversely through the annular portion I 6 of the; stern I. To-ipreven-t rundosiredc oilation 10 fthememb r 21 about its longitudinal axis the opening 32 is formed to include a keyway 34 cooperating With the key portion of the member 21. The brake member 2'! is biased into braking position by means such as a coil spring 35 surrounding the member 21 and bearing against the internal surface of the annular portion I5 and against the in adjusted position a clamping level? 8 is used, to pin 28. The enlarged portion 24 of the J slot 22 3 is of such size as to permit free reciprocation of the member 21 when the handle I! is applied to the stem I by a friction fit at the joint 36, Fig. 2. The chamber I91) serves as a storage space for extra or inactive spools of suture material or thread, access thereto being afforded by the provision of a knurled cap 31.

Operation To use the instrument of the present invention any desired one of a plurality of different sized stems I is chosen. The shank of a needle 5 is inserted in the opening between the grooves B and I and. the needle is positioned longitudinally and rotationally into any desired attitude. The needle is locked and retained in this attitude by rotating the clamping lever 8 which squeezes the prongs 2 and 3 together against the needle, gripping it tightly. The attitude of the needle may be changed at any time without removing the needle by merely loosening the clamping lever, adjusting the needle, and re-tightening the lever.

A spool of suture material or thread is obtained and the end of the thread passed through the eye I2 of the clamping lever B and thence through the eyes of the needle 5. The spool 20 is then inserted in the chamber Ifla of the handle l1 and the thread I3 is guided through the J slot 22 until it finally emerges through the circular opening 23. The handle I1 is then applied to the stem I establishing a friction connection at 36 sufficiently tight toprevent movement or accidental withdrawal oi. the stem I from the handle IT.

The spring 35 bears against the pin 28 forcing the member 21 outward so that the pin 28 abuts the pin 25, thus serving as a brake to prevent any appreciable rotation of the spool 20, The

instrument is now ready for stitching.

The handle I1 is grasped and the device used to perform the operation in place of the forceps usually required to hold a needle. As additional thread is required the button 30 is depressed dislacing the pin 28 from its abutment with the pin and permitting free rotation of the spool 20 to pay out additional thread I3 as needed. The release of pressure on the button permits-the spring to return member 21 to braking position.

a stem, said stem having a generally cylindrical openingextending therethrough adjacent one end thereof adapted to receive the shank of a needle, said stem having a longitudinal slit formed in said end in a plane including the aXis of said stem and the axis of said cylindrical opening to render said end bifurcated into a pair of prongs for gripping said needle, one of said prongs having a screw threaded opening therethrough transversely of said slit, the other of said prongs having an opening therethrough coaxial with said screw threaded opening and of larger diameter, a needle clamping lever having an eye portion and ascrew portion, said screw portion passing through said last mentioned opening in one of said prongs and engaging said screw threaded opening in the other of said prongs, said stem having at its end opposite said slit an enlarged cylindrical portion, a generally tubular handle adapted at one end for frictional engagement withsaid enlarged cylindrical portion of said stem and having atits other a removable cap closing a chamber adapted for the storage of spools of thread, said handle having a second chamber therein adjacent said stem for retaining a spool of thread rotatably therein, an active spool of To facilitate sterilizing, the stem I and handle I! are easily separated and the plug 31 removed so that all parts may come in contact with sterilizing fluid.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that the device is susceptible tomodification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited by the disclosures set forth, but only by the 'scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Iclaim:

1. A surgical stitching instrument comprisin thread in said second chamber, said second chamber having a generally J-shaped guide slot in the wall thereof adapted to guide thread from said active spool toward said needle, and a brake mechanism for said spool located substantially entirely within said handle comprising a manually operable brake member reciprocably mounted in said stem and adapted to engage said active spool, and spring means biasing said brake member to prevent rotation of said active spool.

2. A surgical stitching instrument comprising a stem, said stem having a pair of prongs at one end thereof adapted to grip a needle, means for clamping said prongs together to retain said needle in various positions of adjustment, a removable handle adapted for friction fit with said stem, said handle having a chamber for retaining a thread spool rotatably therein, said chamber having an opening through its wall whereby thread may be continuously supplied from said spool to said needle, and manually releasable spring-biased means for preventing rotation of said spool, said brake means being substantially enclosed within said handle With only the manually operable portion thereof protruding from said handle.

LESTER H. ERICKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 374,372 King Nov. 15, 1887 1,579,379 Marbel Apr. 6, 1926 OTHER REFERENCES Singer Surgical Stitching Instrument Catalogue (copyright 1942), page 8. 

